The Ultrasonic Facial

Last week, I may have met the new love of my life. I was introduced to the Ultrasonic Facial at the Thomas Charles Salon in St. Louis Park following a segment we did a on TWIN CITIES LIVE about ways to clean out your pores. My friend and host of our show, Elizabeth Ries, had this facial done and RAVED about it in the office and on-air. So I of course had to go try it out for myself:)

This treatment is performed by Susan Garmany and it incorporates water with low frequency sound waves. It looks like a little spatula and it actually scrapes off all of your dead skin cells and gets deep into the cells to help stimulate your skin's natural repair mechanisms. This facial is really one-of-a-kind and unlike any facial I've ever gotten.

Susan starts by cleansing your skin and uses all sorts of serums, specific to your skin's needs. The ultrasonic frequency opens pathways to allow all the nutrients from these serums to reach deeper into your skin for longer-lasting results! This facial lasts about an hour and a half, and one of the best parts is the hand, arm and foot massage Susan gives you while a mask penetrates into your skin. I was so relaxed during my treatment, I almost fell asleep.

One of my biggest skin imperfections are the blackheads on my nose. After my facial, I seriously couldn't see any on my nose. They were gone! I also noticed my skin was plump, hydrated, and I had such a glow! This facial is so much better and different than a regular microdermabrasion, because it's not as rough and gritty.

If I were to rate this facial on a scale from 1-10, I would give it a 9! The only reason I wouldn't give it a 10, is because of the price ($125). But let me tell you, this facial is worth every penny! Remember, you're not just getting a 90 minute facial, you're getting a hand, arm, and foot massage too! If you're looking to spend less money, you can so the Express Treatment (45 minutes) for $75, but I would highly recommend getting the 90 minute treatment. Ladies, we all deserve to treat ourselves every now and then, and why not start with our face?! It is the first thing everyone sees!

To book your appointment, call the Thomas Charles Salon at (952) 925-4277. Let me know what you think!

Pre-Cana Classes... Woof!

Tomorrow, we will be 12 days away from our wedding day, and MAN has time flown! I know this sounds so cliche, but it really seems like yesterday that AJ was down on one knee, asking me to marry him. I can not wait to have all of our family and friends in one room, supporting us as we become husband and wife!

This past weekend, AJ and I completed our pre-cana classes on the St. Thomas Campus in St. Paul. Since we're getting married in a catholic church, this is one of the many requirements. I will admit that I was NOT excited at all about attending these classes, but now that they're done I'll admit that it wasn't TOO bad. It was nice spending time with AJ, talking about some of the things you don't necessarily get around to talking about as a couple. Both of us are so busy, and while I'm wrapped up in all the wedding-planning extravaganza, we haven't had time to just sit down and talk for a long period of time. This weekend gave us that opportunity. However, we didn't really connect with any of the couples who spoke or gave presentations during the pre-cana classes. For example, one of the couples who spoke this weekend, doesn't believe in using sarcasm in their home. And, if sarcasm is used, their rule is to apologize to their significant other. Hmmmm...

If AJ and I didn't have sarcasm in our relationship, I don't know if we'd survive;) We are both very silly and immature people, and we really don't take ourselves too seriously. This works for US, but might not work for other couples or families. I completely respect the way other families live, but I found it very difficult to connect to many of the speeches during our pre-cana classes. All in all, I am happy we went. I'm always open to trying new things:)

As for the actual wedding planning, everything is pretty much done! I worked so hard this past year, making sure everything was done SOONER rather than later. Now, I can just sit back, relax and wait for the fun to start!!!

PS, any wedding advice is greatly appreciated:)

Day 1 of Blue Print Cleanse: COMPLETE

Well, I made it through day 1 of the Blue Print Cleanse, and I must say... I want a big juicy steak;) In all seriousness, this cleanse isn't all that bad. I had a few rough patches where I almost drove myself through the drive-through at McDonalds, but I refrained!

Right now, I'm finishing juice #6 (Cashew Milk), and while it's not vanilla ice cream, it is DELICIOUS and is completely satisfying my desire for something sweet! Throughout the day, I will admit I had to choke down the two Green Juices (juice #1 and #3) and the Beet Juice wasn't my favorite either. BUT, I LOVED the P.A.M Juice (juice #2 - pineapple, mint, etc.) and of course the one I'm drinking right now. Even when I'm finished with this cleanse, I will attempt to make the P.A.M juice in my juicer! And I will be on a mission to find something similar to the Cashew Milk drink. SO GOOD!

I'm not going to lie, there were times today that I wanted to give up and dive into a bowl of cereal or a big cheeseburger, but I'm sticking with it! And if I can do it, YOU can do it!

www.blueprintcleanse.com

Day #1 of the Blue Print Cleanse

28 Days until our wedding, so today I start day #1 of 3, of the Blue Print Cleanse! The BPC was named "Best Juice Cleanse" by New York Magazine. My 3 day cleanse allows me 6 bottles of juice per day, which are a combination on fruit, veggie, herb juices and nut milk. Sounds delicious huh?! Well after finishing bottle number 1, it's not bad! Very refreshing actually.

The reason I like this cleanse (so far) is that they bottle, number and ship all the bottles to you at once. There's literally NO WORK for me to do, except going 3 days without solid food... and yes, this will be a lot of work for me:) My menu today is:

Juice #1: Green Juice (romaine, celery, cucumber, green apple, spinach, kale, parsley, lemon)
Juice #2: P.A.M (filtered water, pineapple, apple, mint)
Juice #3: Green Juice
Juice #4: Spicy Lemonade (filtered water, lemon agave nectar, cayenne)
Juice #5: C.A.B (apple, carrot, beet, lemon, ginger)
Juice #6: Cashew Milk (filtered water, raw cashews, agave nectar, vanilla bean, cinnamon)

The other 2 days are pretty much the same too. If you want to do your own research on the BPC, I recommend going through the FAQ page found HERE. Keep checking back, and I will keep you posted with my progress!

The Proposal Video

Last weekend, AJ not only celebrated his 26th birthday, but the two of us also celebrated the one-year anniversary of our engagement! It amazes me that a year has already gone by and that we will be married in one month. Not only do I love talking to anyone and everyone about my wedding plans, but I also love looking back on the video from the night that we got engaged (thanks Joe)...

Click HERE to watch "The Proposal Video"


I always enjoy hearing stories about friends getting engaged, and I feel so lucky that we have AJ's proposal on video to look back on. For those of you who don't know the story, here's the short version (just ask me for the long version next time you see me and I won't hesitate to tell you the whole story). Me and AJ's parents hadn't met yet, so my parents decided to invite them over for AJ's birthday dinner on August 29th, 2009. I spent the entire day cooking, cleaning and stressing about the "event". Never in a million years did I expect a proposal. In fact, I thought the complete opposite, as I had been fighting with AJ months prior about the fact that I thought we would "never get married" (I was not shy about sharing my feelings on the topic). Little did I know that AJ had already bought a ring, asked my Dad for permission to marry me, and both sets of our parents knew what this night had in store! AJ's roomate Joe, his girlfriend Gabby and my brother and sister were also there, and Joe was the man with the camera:) AJ gave a toast, and gave me a present for putting together the night's "festivities". Three glasses of wine into the night and my Borat voice ever-so-present, I opened the gift to find a box made of chocolate, with little chocolate beans inside, and THE RING!

Now, one year later, we're wrapping up all of our wedding planning, getting ready to become husband and wife, and throw a killer party! 32 days and counting!!!